The best of both worlds. Photo: Luis Perez

Well, not exactly. But it’s pretty much Spotify for books. This is something I could grow to enjoy, I think. Perhaps with time as the library expands, though I expect that the prices would have to increase. Surely there’s not going to be enough money coming out of it to satisfy publishers. Interesting enough though, to say the least. Another discouraging feature for me is that it is an iPhone only app, with a future iPad release scheduled. I don’t own either of those devices, or plan on owning them any time soon. Maybe an iPad isn’t beyond my wildest imagination, but I’d prefer to buy a device intended for reading, like a kindle. Having had a little play around with a few e-readers and the iPad, I much prefer the screens used on the kindles and e-readers. The iPad screen is beautiful, vibrant and clear. Perfect for video, apps, internet surfing, etc. But it isn’t perfect for reading. I have sensitive eyes, the balance between brightness, softness, contrast on the iPad and iPhone just doesn’t seem to stack up for me, especially compared to the kindle – a device obviously designed purely for reading, with a lot more thought into the ease of viewing that the screen has.

None the less, this is a good idea, I think. I was a fan of Spotify, but I’m also a fan of vinyl. Just like I could be a fan of this in the future I’m also a fan of books. I like to collect things, I like to touch things and immerse myself in the experience of things. I think there’s something that the digital media of the world will never be able to do. Replace that experience. They try, oh yes they do. Hypermediated mediums that are designed to replicate that experience are prevalent in our society. The digital world has a lot to offer, but it will be very hard to match the experience of the analogue world. I guess that’s where we have it good. If we want an experience, it’s easy enough to get it. If we want convenience, compact size and accessible media, we can get it even more easily.

Either way you look at it, there’s enough of each to please everyone, I think it’s a matter of finding a balance and finding a purpose for the multitude of formats and mediums that are on offer.